Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Unlike previous meet-ups, it seemed as though GeorgeNotFound would be the last to arrive at the airport. In all fairness, it wasn't entirely his fault. He'd been left in charge of his cousins while visiting family for a while, and no matter how many times he seemed to remind the other adults they seemed to forget he had pre-made plans.

His phone had blown up from a combination of Tommy, Tubbo and Wilbur spamming every messaging service he used- Discord, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram were filled to the brim with pings.

He thanked the taxi driver as he finally made it to Heathrow airport, grabbing his suitcase from the boot and heading to the entrance. Just to be sure, he wore a fabric mask and a disposable one.

In this day and age, it didn't take long for him to get past the front desk without recognition, then he had to wait for security. He occupied himself by informing his companions that he'd arrived, much to their excitement.

"Thank fuck." Wilbur quietly said, pulling George into a hug once he'd finally met up with the group. Their flight was about to start boarding, the last thing they wanted was to be last on.

"Left it a bit close there mate." Phil added, and he and Kristin picked up their bags, ready to head to where they needed to be. In all seriousness, they were quite close to missing the flight if George didn't turn up.

"Can't believe we could have left gogy behind- would make a good video title though." Jack commented, stopping himself from laughing. Tommy couldn't hold it in, and he burst out laughing and began making up clickbait titles with Jack and Tubbo, Niki occasionally chiming in.

"Get held up by family?" Wilbur asked, as he and George lead the way. The shorter of the duo nodded, fixing his collar.

"Had to watch my cousins, and then just nobody seemed to let me leave." George was just glad he managed to make it, the last thing he wanted was to screw up the group's plans on their trip to Canada.

That's right, Canada. This wasn't even the whole group- the rest would be met in Ottawa, and then they'd be driving for a few hours until they made it to the hired out winter cabin.

Excluding the group currently in Heathrow, those attending were Dream, Sapnap, Punz, Karl, Quackity and Ranboo.

They'd decided to splash out, renting a comfortably sized cabin for a week before Christmas to just spend time with each other and indulge in the festive spirit.

Everything else was smooth sailing, from boarding to take off. Only Kristin managed to stay awake the entire flight, mostly because of how much she disliked flying. She had Phil with her to serve as comfort though.

The landing was just as smooth, as was going through customs and all the other necessary steps. By the time they'd made it out into the freezing winter air, two mini buses had pulled up, the occupants immediately rushing over.

Hugs were had, friends were reunited. It was all around a good time.

George found himself sat by the window close to the front of the minibus, occupying himself with quiet conversations with both Dream and Sapnap. Karl and Quackity were soon to join, as was Punz.

The bus in front contained everyone else, and since Phil had been in charge of deciding where the group accommodation was he had the location punched into his satnav.

Something else that had already been taken care of was the food situation. The company who had supplied the accommodation had been kind enough to leave some food products that were perfectly sealed, things such as tins of soup or beans, and frozen vegetables. It was a precaution, especially with the weather conditions around here.

There was already a decent amount of snow outside, and there was rumours of a pretty nasty snowstorm incoming over the next few days. However, what was supplied (food wise) wouldn't be enough, so the group that hadn't had so long of a flight had indulged in trips to multiple different stores, just grabbing whatever they thought would be eaten.

George sighed, resting his head against the cool glass and just admiring the view outside. He didn't think he'd ever seen this much snow before, it was fascinating.

"Tired already? Didn't you sleep on the flight?" Sapnap questioned, elbowing him in the side. George only gave a slight laugh in response, sitting up again.

"Jet lag will be starting to catch up, I can see Tommy and Tubbo passed out already." Dream added, pointing to the vehicle ahead. In fact, it seemed as though most of the passengers had drifted off.

"I bet the atmosphere doesn't help either." Punz mentioned, spreading out across the two seats he'd claimed. Karl did the same thing, as did Quackity. Sapnap would have done the same thing but he wanted to sit next to George.

A comfortable quiet fell upon the bus, excuse the Christmas songs quietly playing on the radio. Sapnap had been singing along, but he'd stopped once he felt a weight on his shoulder, glancing to see George completely passed out.

"I told you he was bullshitting when he said he doesn't like affection." Quackity mumbled, as he'd not long spent some time in England, and had learnt to know George's true self off camera.

"Trust me, we all knew it was bullshit."

"Just wake him up, he's not gonna stab you." Karl encouraged, as he had remained on the bus once everyone else had gotten off, working together to get all the bags inside before the snow began to fall.

"But he always says he hates being woken up." Sapnap quickly said, sitting in the exact same position as he had been an hour previous.

He and Karl continued their back and forth quiet bickering until Wilbur clambered up the steps with the grace of a newborn lamb. "Why aren't you insi- oh."

The tallest of the small group made his way over, placing his hand on George shoulder. Unliked the others- par Dream and Tommy, he wasn't afraid of waking George up. During late summer and Autumn they'd spent a decent amount of time together.

He shook him slightly, and to nobody's surprise, George began to wake up with a groan, shifting so his face was hidden by Sapnap's jacket.

"C'mon George, everyone's inside already." Wilbur stopped to shiver. "And it's fuckin freezing when the heatings not on in here." Karl and Sapnap had to agree.

With the brain fog continuing to cloud his thoughts, George allowed himself to be sat up, his seatbelt being unclipped. He was vaguely aware of his coat being pulled on, and the sleeves being pulled down his arms.

Next thing he knew, he was inside a cabin. He finally started to become aware of his surroundings, as he was sat down on a sofa. To be honest, he didn't understand why he was being pushed around so much, but he didn't have the energy to question it.

It didn't take him long for him to flop back over, not even bothering to take his coat off as he easily fell back into a restless doze. Nobody seemed concerned, as they all knew about George's weird sleeping habits.

In fact it wasn't until a few hours later that someone began to grow concerned, and that someone was Punz. He'd settled into a plush chair nearby to where George had flopped, and as time passed he begun to notice George's hair becoming damper and damper from sweat, or the way he seemed to continuously shift uncomfortably.

"Phil, I'm not sure if there's something up with George." Punz admitted, only saying something once Phil was close enough to be the only person to hear what he was saying.

The oldest of the group immediately frowned, glancing over at George to be met with him sweating, and his breaths getting deeper and deeper.

He sneakily rested the back of his hand against the 25 year old's forehead, immediately shocked at just how high his temperature appeared to be.

Unfortunately, he wasn't sneaky enough, and George slowly started to sit up moments after Phil had carefully stepped away.

"George? Feeling okay mate?" Phil questioned, hiding the annoyance in his voice as George took off his coat, a pained expression on his face. He then took off his hoodie, and his sweatshirt, leaving him in his T-shirt and sweatpants.

He lay back down with a quiet groan, as feverish aches settled deep into his bones. "Not really, no." George admitted, staring at the ceiling above.

Punz sat up a little, fixing his jacket. "You should probably head up to your room if you're not feeling great, I'll show you where it is." He offered, already standing up and stretching.

"Yeah uhm, sure." George reluctantly agreed, sitting up with another groan before standing, not too well balanced on his feet at the moment.

The two made their way upstairs, and Punz gave a quick version of a tour, making sure George knew where all the bathrooms were and who was staying in which room, but in all honesty he didn't think George was paying much attention.

"And then here's your room." Punz pushed the door open, unsurprised by the fact Karl and Sapnap were already in there. It seemed as though they'd been tasked with making all the beds for this room.

George nodded, rocking on his heels and being met with a steadying hand on his lower back. He assumed it was Punz, as he hadn't heard anyone else join them yet.

They were acknowledged by the two, who made their way over after finishing up on what seemed to be the last bed.

"Still tired?" Karl asked, being met with a nod as George leant up against the door frame. He was lightly pushed forwards by Punz, making him go sit down on his newly claimed bed.

"He's like, really warm." Punz whispered to the others, since George was distracted by the fact his suitcase was already under the bed.

"You think he's coming down with something? He didn't seem all that with it when we tried to wake him up earlier." Sapnap asked and added, leaning on the previously occupied doorframe.

"Maybe, so just try to keep an eye on him, for now we'll let him sleep." Their conversation was interrupted by shouting down the hall from what was known as Bench Trio's room.

"Yeah...Tommy wanted to do a scuffed laptop stream." Karl said, understanding why Punz looked a little frustrated. They had just got there after all.

I mean, at least their room wasn't directly next to this one. The three stepped fully inside, closing the door. The younger trio was almost silent with the door shut, so it would have to do.

"I'm just gonna chill on my bunk, you try and get some sleep alright George?" Sapnap instructed, as George got comfortable underneath his blanket. He had one of the two single beds, whereas Sapnap and Karl then Quackity and Punz had bunk beds- Dream had the other single bed.

Punz and Karl left after that, turning the light off and once again closing the door to try and make it as quiet as possible.

No matter what position George seemed to lie in, it didn't prevent the churning pain in his stomach. He'd managed to keep his discomfort quiet, muffling his groans into his pillow.

However, one thing he couldn't silence was the painfully loud rebellion inside his digestive system, which seemed to have it out for him at the moment.

Sapnap wasn't deaf, and he wasn't stupid either. He'd been messaging a group chat he'd made around ten minutes prior. He informed Dream, Karl, Punz and Quackity of what was happening, and then proceeded to message Dream with any finer details he didn't think George would appreciate being shared.

What he didn't expect was a few minutes later, when there was a few gentle taps on the door. "Come in." He quietly called out, and the door was pushed open.

Sapnap recognised the silhouette in the doorway to be Dream, purely because of the fact he wasn't far off banging his head on the doorframe.

Once fully in the room, the door was shut once again. "Is George asleep?" Dream questioned, to which Sapnap shrugged, not sure if he'd drifted off.

"Nope." George mumbled, lying on his stomach. No matter what position he lay in he was uncomfortable, but this one seemed to help for the time being.

"I've been given the task of getting your temperature, so can you sit up for me?" Dream was armed with one of those temperature guns- they were less invasive then the ones that go in your ear, and there was no fear of spreading stuff unlike the ones that went in your mouth or- yeah we won't even go there.

George sat up with a groan, shyly wrapping his arm across his middle, trying to alleviate the nausea that sitting up had brought. "Was anyone sick when you were visiting family?" Dream questioned, gently pushing George's fringe back and scanning his forehead.

"One of my cousins was throwing up a lot, like a lot. My uncle said it was Norovirus or something." He explained, closing his eyes and relaxing beneath the comforting pressure on his face.

Sapnap and Dream exchanged concerned glances, mostly because neither of them had any clue as to what this 'Norovirus' thing was- all they knew is it had virus in the name so it couldn't have been good.

"Right...well I'm gonna to grab you some medicine." Dream lied, motioning for Sapnap to come with him. "And Sap is gonna grab you a drink."

George just nodded, lying back down once the comfort had been taken away. He kept his eyes shut and his hands on his stomach, trying not to move or make the nausea worse.

The door quietly clicked shut, and the two clueless yet worried friends rushed down the hall, making Tommy's chat go wild as the laptop was currently situated on the bottom bunk, and the trio was seated on the floor.

"Was that just fuckin, Dream and Sapnap?" Tommy asked with a laugh, subsequently making Ranboo and Tubbo laugh.

It was only about a minute later until they got downstairs, being greeted by most of the others watching a Christmas film. Neither of them knew which one it was though.

Phil turned to look at the duo, furrowing his brow at how concerned they appeared. "Everything alright?" He asked, shifting so his body was facing them. His question also caught the attention of the others nearby.

"What the fuck is Norovirus?" Sapnap rushed, not thinking twice before the words left his mouth.

A tense atmosphere suddenly settled, and all the people who'd come from England exchanged concerned glances. Everyone looked to Wilbur, as he'd put his hands to his face, his glasses falling to the floor as his chest began to heave with rushed breaths.

"Please don't tell me George has got Norovirus." Phil practically begged, quickly rising to his feet. Karl had already started rubbing Wilbur's back once he'd gotten permission, trying to calm him down.

Dream rubbed the back of his neck, and Sapnap looked away awkwardly, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and just wishing that the ground would swallow him whole.

"He uhm, said his cousin had it." Sapnap mumbled, whatever confidence he'd had before had been shattered, now all he wanted was to get away from this situation.

Punz stood from his seat at the table, he'd been scrolling through TikTok for a while but had looked up at the commotion once Dream and Sapnap had come downstairs. He immediately noticed the way Sapnap was scratching his hand, a little too hard for his liking.

His hand made its way to Sapnap's lower back, snapping him from his anxious daydreams. "I mean it's not really anything we can get annoyed about, shit happens, it's fine."

The others exchanged glances, quickly realising that Punz had not been there to experience a very similar situation only a few months prior.

"We all got sick last time we had a group holiday." Jack explained, his mood not really bothered by the news. Like Punz had just said, it was nothing to get annoyed over.

Wilbur was practically escorted upstairs by Karl and Kristin, his rapid breaths descending into a full blown panic attack. "Oh yeah, and Wilbur is extremely emetophobic." Phil added, sitting on the arm of the sofa with a sigh.

"We could just try and keep George in our room." Dream suggested, lightly pushing Sapnap towards the table with Punz so he could sit down and chill for a moment.

"Will sat next to George on the plane, they hugged at the airport, and I'm pretty sure he came and got on the minibus when Sapnap and Karl couldn't wake George up."

Simply put, it seemed like they were completely screwed, and an uncomfortable silence fell upon the room.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by an extremely forceful retch, followed by a splatter.

Dream practically ran back upstairs, going up to his bedroom, expecting to find George there. Unsurprisingly, he did, and he was on his hands and knees beside his bed, a foul puddle of vomit in front of him.

"Ease up, come on." He used the gentlest voice he could, very similar to the one he used when talking to Patches. George was slowly moved until he was sitting up, his back against the bed.

Dream just left him to pant for a few moments, draping his arm across George's trembling shoulders. "Deep breaths, it's okay." He continued to soothe.

George wrapped both his arms around his middle, which seemed to be rolling with nauseating cramps. His throat burnt, as did his mouth and nose. He dragged his arm across his face for a moment, wiping off the gross substance that was clinging to him.

"Feeling well enough to move yet?" Dream questioned, not wanting to rush George and consequently making him feel even worse than he already did.

So when George shook his head, he didn't try and force him up. He merely pulled him closer, being met with a head on his shoulder as the older male sniffled quietly.

"That's alright, just relax." George listened, his breathing returning to a semi-regular pace. He shuddered at the sour taste on his tongue, and tried to avoid looking at the floor.

After a few more minutes of just letting his stomach settle, Dream very carefully helped George into the bathroom, making him sit on the edge of the bath while he used a damp cloth to wipe off his face.

"Right so, we should probably work on getting this fever down before it gets higher." Dream was more so thinking out loud, and therefore didn't expect George to answer.

There was a knock on the bedroom door, barely audible through the soundproofed walls. However, Dream was too busy helping George peel his disgusting shirt off.

A few moments later the bedroom became inhabited by Sapnap and Punz, who had just been trying to get away from the noise downstairs. Calm conversations had turned into frustrated disputes, even making Ranboo head downstairs to see what was happening.

"Fucking hell, that is gross." Sapnap swore, pulling his shirt up to cover his nose. Punz lightly elbowed him, reminding him to use his bedside manner.

"Just shut up and help me." Dream requested, turning away from George. He then got to work on soaking a washcloth in cold water, squeezing out the excess then dabbing it on George's forehead and shoulders.

Sapnap moved out the way, while Punz went into the bathroom to grab the cleaning supplies stored under the sink, and made work of cleaning up the floor. Luckily it was laminate flooring, so there was no worries about a ruined carpet.

It only took a few minutes, but within that time George had needed to change positions, now dry heaving into the toilet with saliva running down his chin as he burped sickly.

"Some fuckin virus, eh?" Dream said lightly, rubbing and patting the sick Brit's back gently. At this point, he knew he'd most likely catch it, and he also didn't feel like just leaving George to fend for himself.

"You're doing good, just take deep breaths." Kristin reassured, gently but firmly holding Wilbur's hands to keep him grounded, his pupils darting as he scoured the room for something to focus on.

"Hey, I found some puzzles." Karl happily announced, bringing a few boxes over. They resembled landscapes and quiet towns, which could definitely help calm the atmosphere.

The box was shook to make sure all the pieces were apart, and then Karl took off the lid and poured all the contents on the little coffee table, dropping to his knees so he had a better reach.

Wilbur joined him after a few moments, working on the edges first and adding any other pieces he found to fit. It wasn't a complete fix, but it helped him to think about anything but what was happening to George- and what could end up happening to everyone.

He shook his head at that thought, trying to keep concentrating. He startled at a random sound across the room, but quickly tried to play it off and continued work on the puzzle.

And that's when the three heard it.

The sound of palms slapping against the flooring, and extremely harsh and forceful coughing. Of course, they knew what it was, and Wilbur couldn't help but feel his chest begin to heave again.

"This is a really nice looking mountain, isn't it?" Kristin asked, pointing to the picture on front of the box. Wilbur was snapped out of his thoughts, quickly agreeing to whatever was said.

"And this puzzle has 200 pieces, that shouldn't take too long if the both of you are doing it." She continued, making the 25 year old nod again.

"Can I have my headphones?" Wilbur asked, itching his ear as a way to drown out the extra noise. He wasn't even sure if what was happening was still happening, but he wasn't about to take a chance.

"Of course, are they in your room?" Kristin's question was met with a nod, and she gently pat Wilbur's shoulder before leaving to fulfil his request.

Karl and Wilbur worked quietly, even after his headphones had been retrieved. It took them almost an hour to finish it, and by then you could definitely tell that Wilbur had calmed down.

"I think I'm gonna head downstairs, just shout if I'm needed alright?" Karl stood up, his knees cracking from the position he'd been in for way too long.

There was no objections against his leave, so he went to the kitchen to make himself some sort of snack.

"Is Wilbur okay?" Phil asked, now sat at the dinner table with Quackity and Punz. It seemed as though he'd been explaining the previous situation to them, and just how bad it had gotten.

Karl nodded, joining them at the table. "We did a puzzle and he listened to some music...how's George?" He hesitated at his question, opening the bag of chips he'd nabbed from the cupboard.

"From what I've been told, it definitely sounds like Norovirus." Phil could tell from Karl's expression he had no clue what Norovirus was- he assumed it wasn't as big as a thing in the States as it was in Britain.

"On this website it's described as the 'Winter vomiting bug'. It's basically your regular, run of the mill stomach virus...intensified by a metric fuck tonne." Punz explained, scrolling through the NHS website.

"It's like what we caught on the camping trip but worse." Phil admitted, lowering his voice a little as to not concern the three teens that had not long come downstairs.

Punz and Quackity didn't know how bad it was last time, but judging by Karl's expression it definitely hadn't been good.

"So...we're fucked right? With how you guys are acting it certainly seems that way." Quackity asked, pushing his fringe away from where it was currently covering his eyes.

Both Phil and Karl gave a slight nod, all four of them sighing.

"At least we've got medicine."

"There's no way in hell he's gonna keep that down long enough for it to take effect." Dream stated, against the idea of George having medicine in the first place. If this bug was like what it had been described as, he knew it would only cause more discomfort further down the line.

Niki gave a frustrated sigh, putting her hand on her hip. She'd been trying to convince Dream for the last few minutes to let George have some medicine to try and settle the nausea so he could actually move from the bathroom.

"Why don't you just ask George if he wants it or not?" Sapnap called from his spot on the top bunk of his and Karl's bed. He wasn't distancing himself, he just didn't think he'd be much help at this second.

Dream and Niki looked to him, and on cue George violently gagged into the bowl, coughing and almost sounding as if he was choking. If it weren't for Karl already being by George's side, then Dream would have rushed to his aid.

"I'm on Clay's side, he can barely keep water down at the moment." Karl added, rubbing and firmly patting George's back to help him cough up what was bothering him. It had been nearly 2 hours since George had started throwing up, and he was still no better.

"Well, we could try to get him to have some once he starts keeping stuff down. It's gotta be worth a try." Niki continued to try and convince them, reading through the label once again.

"My mom never gave me medicine until after the symptoms had started to clear up, apparently it can just intensify the other symptoms while it helps the others." Sapnap added, lying on his back.

"Why don't they put this stuff on the bottle?" Niki frustratedly asked, sitting down at the end of George's bed.

Dream just shrugged, leaning against the dresser. "How's uh, everything downstairs?" He hadn't left the bedroom since George first started throwing up, still feeling a bit weird about earlier.

"Wilburs alright now, I think Ranboo and Tubbo are gonna try to make soup, we can just bring it up if you want any." She explained.

"Thanks, I'll probably take you up on that offer." Dream quietly admitted, glancing into the bathroom again.

After a few moments silence, Niki stood again. "I'll leave you guys to it." She left the bottle of medicine beside George's bed in case anyone had a change of heart, and then just left them to it.

Dream headed back into the bathroom, crouching down beside Karl. The Brit looked infinitely paler, and was just drenched in sweat.

"I'm gonna go see if we've got anything with electrolytes, we just need him hydrated." Karl said, shifting out the way so Dream could take his place, which he did very quickly.

George practically collapsed onto Dream once he'd finished his coughing fit, the harsh coughs turning into broken sobs.

"Hey, you're okay, I've got you." Dream tried to soothe, pulling George into a gentle yet firm hold. One hand cradled his head, the other just rubbing his back.

Sapnap peeked his head up, hearing what was happening due to the door being wide open. He climbed down from his bunk, quietly walking over.

He lingered by the door, unsure of how to help but not wanting to just sit and watch while his friend was in such a state.

"How's about you have a quick shower once you've calmed down, get you into some fresh clothes and get set up in bed rather than on the floor?"

Dream's question wasn't met with an answer, only more pained sobs and whimpers. It killed him to see George, one of his best friends, who would usually just sleep something like this off, so vulnerable.

"Come on pal, straighten up." Sapnap encouraged, sitting on the edge of the bath. He gently rubbed George's shoulder, carefully adjusting him so he was more sat up.

"Just deep breaths, deep breaths." Dream reminded, taking exaggerated breaths to get his point across. It seemed to do the trick, as George began to copy the rhythm.

The three continued to breath deeply to return the atmosphere to a calmer state, and after a few more minutes George's hysterics had been minimised to sniffling and the occasional broken sob.

"We're gonna stand up now, alright? Nick is gonna get the shower sorted out, and I'm gonna get you back into the bedroom so we can get you some pyjamas." Dream slowly explained, motioning to Sapnap to shift out the way, which he did.

George only nodded, standing up slowly with added assistance. Dream allowed for him to sway and regain his balance, keeping his hands close in case he fell.

The two very carefully made their way to George's bed, where the shorter of the duo sat down and stared idly. Dream pulled his suitcase out from under the bed, rummaging through for some light clothes.

"We all did the same thing, didn't we? Going to a snowy place so we packed thick clothes." He said with a defeated sigh, continuing to rummage.

"I've got some lighter stuff in mine." Sapnap called out, shouting so his voice wasn't drowned out by the shower. He'd managed to get it set up pretty easily, and kept checking the temperature to make sure it was alright.

"Where's your suitcase?" Dream asked, zipping up George's suitcase after he'd gotten all the appropriate necessities.

Instead of answering, Sapnap pulled himself back up onto the top bunk, then stood so he could reach the shelving area built into the walls. He just passed his luggage down, then carefully climbed back down.

"Fancy." The Floridian commented, stealing a loose shirt and tossing it to the pile he'd made. Of course, he folded it again when he picked everything up, making it into a neat stack to be placed in the bathroom.

"Could've done it myself." George attempted to speak, but his throat was so raw from being continuously burnt it came out as barely a whisper.

"You've been half dead for the last few hours, go get cleaned up." Dream reminded, holding his hand out as an assist, and it was used.

"Just holler if you need anything." Sapnap added, currently attempting to shift the tv stand.

"And you're sure we're doing this right?" Ranboo questioned for what was probably the tenth time. He was currently chopping an array of vegetables that had been pushed his way.

"Of course! Mums made this so many times I'm pretty sure it's been burned into my brain." Tubbo reassured, making sure nothing was boiling over.

"And now I just add all this to the pot?" Ranboo's question was met with a nod, and be scraped all the sliced veggies into the comically large pot.

“Just making sure, the last thing we want is giving everyone food poisoning…again.” Ranboo cringed, his mind flashing back to the mishap on the last trip…they finally got on the mend and Tommy had to cook a dodgy lasagna.

“Don’t worry, we’re more than capable of making chicken noodle soup. And if you even think about touching it!” Tubbo shouted to the living room, where Tommy currently resided on the sofa with Wilbur. “I’ll fuckin…I don’t know, make you swim in the lake naked.”

“The lake is frozen over- you’ll kill him Toby!” Jack chuckled, gesturing outside the large window to show the snow falling heavily, and the frozen solid lake around 40 meters away from the house.

Tubbo just shrugged. “I mean it would just be karma from the last trip.” He added. “But that means we have to kill Sapnap as well…”

“We’re not killing anyone, you just finish cooking and behave.” Phil chimed in, not wanting this joke to go too far and someone get upset.

So after that, Tubbo just quietly went back to cooking. He even gave everything a few minutes extra to be completely sure it was cooked.

So with everything prepared and ready, those who wanted some grabbed a bowl. They decided to leave it until taking some upstairs, just in case nothing had gotten better.

It seemed as though things were calm.

For now…

Chapter Text

"Why don't we just let George pick?" Dream questioned, as Sapnap had control of the remote and was hiding in the shelving unit so nobody could take it.

"Because last time he was sick he just made us watch Gordon Ramsey all day." The Texan reminded, flicking through Netflix and looking for one of the Spider-Man films.

"What's wrong with Gordon Ramsay?" Karl asked, pushing around the shallow remains of his dinner. Even though it was only soup, it didn't seem to be sitting well.

"He just gets boring after a while." Sapnap admitted, climbing back onto his bunk when he was sure nobody would try to steal the remote again.

"I don't think George could give a shit about what we watch right now." Quackity said honestly, gesturing to the barely conscious Brit, staying awake just so he could have a few spoonfuls of soup.

Dream gave George a gentle nudge, considering he was sat beside him, having got comfort on his bed rather than his own.

"Mm' still up." George answered, his head beginning to droop. Of course, nobody believed his statement, he was far too gone to be even considered awake right now.

"Yeah, he's had enough so that if he keeps it down it'll help a bit." Dream pried to bowl from the shorter male's grasp, placing it on the bedside table to be discarded of later. He still hadn't touched the medicine.

"I'll take bowls downstairs." Punz announced, climbing down from his and Quackity's bunk- besides, he wanted to grab some drinks.

Bowls were passed, and soon all the dishes were gone. Punz took the liberty of loading the dishwasher while he was at it, saving someone else a bigger job later. By now, it seemed as though most people had relocated to their rooms.

He then grabbed some drinks that everyone could enjoy, and by that I mean he just grabbed a few of every choice there was, tossing them (not the fizzy ones) into a bag for easier transport.

Once back upstairs, drinks were passed as requested, and to nobody's surprise George had already passed out, curling into Dream's side with a gentle hand itching his scalp.

The volume on the tv had been lowered, but subtitles had been added, it was a good compromise.

"Was anyone downstairs?" Karl asked, reaching for his glasses so he could actually see what was happening.

"Ranboo was asleep on the couch, but that was it." Punz said after a few moments of thinking. He was certain nobody else had been down there.

In all honesty, nothing really happened after that. George got up a few times for prolonged bathroom trips, but it wasn't until morning that things started to head south again.

Karl woke in a cold sweat, his pyjamas clinging to his clammy skin. His head was swimming, and his stomach was in a fit of nauseous gurgles.

He lifted his head, the clock on his bedside table displaying the numbers 5:27AM. The light, although red and dim, seemed to burn straight through his skull. He couldn't stop the whimper that escaped him, burrowing deep within his duvet.

Karl prayed that nobody heard his extreme discomfort, but at the same time he craved comfort, just someone to hold him in his time of need.

But because of the time of night and the fact the group had only gotten to sleep a few hours previous, Karl was stranded. He palmed his stomach gently, just trying to relieve some of the pain.

Nothing seemed to work, no matter what position Karl lay in or how much pressure he put on his stomach the ache didn't let up, progressing into cramping spasms. The nausea got worse as well, and now Karl was sure he was going to throw up.

He knew he'd left it way too late now to even consider making it to the bathroom on time, the journey itself seeming like it would take hours, despite the fact he could literally see inside the room.

The nearest trash can was the one beside George's bed, which seemed just as far as the bathroom (I mean it technically was, George's bed was right beside the bathroom door).

Karl genuinely was stuck- too sick to move, too anxious to call out for help. He panted with shallow breaths, the rapid motion just making him feel worse and worse.

Oh god, he was gonna throw up.
Like, right now.

A quick glance to his right, he was met with empty space and the TV stand. They'd watched another movie once Spider-Man finished, and Karl recalls having to steal the remote from the top bunk after Sapnap had fallen asleep.

However, the empty space only seemed to remind him of his situation, so he carefully rolled onto his right side, so he was facing the left side of the room- Punz and Quackity's bunk.

Quackity had insisted on having the top bunk, so he was met with Punz.

Karl could explain the emotions he felt as pure euphoria, as he came to the realisation that Punz wasn't lying down, he was sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Luke-." He quietly called out, gripping his shirt tightly as the nausea started to itch his throat. Bile begun to rise, and Karl started rapidly swallowing.

Punz looked over, and before he could even respond, Karl pushed himself up and violently threw up on the floor, almost sounding like he was choking.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck." Punz swore, immediately getting out of bed, making his way round to the other side and firmly patting Karl's back, forcing his body to cough up what was stuck in his throat- which was just more vomit.

If he had to assume, Karl's lack of appetite and small dinner last night had to play a factor in why this had seemed so...forceful. Everything that followed was just sour, watery bile.

"When you've calmed down a bit, we're gonna move you into the bathroom, okay?" Punz explained, being met with a nod as Karl continued to pant, cringing at the damp heaviness that covered his pyjama shirt.

After a few minutes, Karl felt well enough to move, putting most of his weight on Punz until he sat down on the edge of the bath. The light was switched on, and the door was closed over.

The older of the two set to work, helping Karl pull his shirt over his head. Punz was grateful for the fact there were wipes under the sink, and he made quick work of wiping all the remains that had seeped through or had remained on Karl's face.

"Right, I need to go and clean beside your bed. You can lie on my bunk if you want." He offered, crouching down so he and Karl were on the same level. He took not of how pale he was, and the beads of sweat that quickly formed on his forehead- identical symptoms to what George had experienced.

They weren't kidding when they said this thing was contagious.

Karl only leaned forwards, attempting to hug Punz but more so just leaning face first into him. Of course, he didn't mind, he was just concerned in case Karl slipped forwards too quickly and fell.

"Okay come on, let's get you lying down." Punz encouraged, helping Karl to stand slowly, before leading him over to his bed. Surprisingly, nobody else had woken up.

With the main issue out of the way (and armed with a bucket) Punz made quick work of the watery substance on the floor. He was grateful they'd only eaten soup last night, and that the snacks Karl had eaten throughout the day hadn't just sat heavily in his stomach.

A glance at the clock showed it was now almost 6am, still way too early for anyone else to be awake. He helped Karl back into his own bed, then sat beside him.

"You need anything?" He asked, just wanting to provide whatever he could. Punz despised seeing his friends in such discomfort, and would do anything in his power to help them feel better.

"Just, comfort. Please." Karl weakly requested, being met with a soothing motion, his hair being gently combed through. The feeling was enough to lull him into a light doze.

Punz stayed like that, just giving Karl what he requested. Even after he fell asleep, he didn’t stop.

Looks like this was gonna be a long day.

Chapter Text

There wasn't much Punz could do right now to try and settle the nerves in his chest, besides, he had more important things to worry about right now, like how Karl was violently retching into the toilet in front of him.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone anymore. Everyone else in the room- excusing Quackity and George, had woken up, so it wasn't long before Sapnap had also joined in the anxious caregiving.

"Can you pour him a glass of water? Easier than brushing his teeth." Punz requested, knowing that Sapnap fared better when he was given constant tasks. He didn't comment on the fact his hand never left Karl's side, he didn't need to, it wasn't his business.

Karl simply crumpled once his stomach was sufficiently empty again, resting the back of his head against Punz's chest, breathing deeply through his mouth to replace the lost oxygen.

"You're good, just slow sips." Sapnap encouraged, lifting the glass to Karl's mouth and tipping it slowly. Karl only had a few sips before beginning to refuse.

"Please, just a bit more." Sapnap pushed, which was risky considering just how unwell Karl felt right now. It was like he was stoking a fire, and if he continued he'd surely be burnt.

Punz knew this, and intervened. "There's no point in forcing him to have more in one go, if that's all he can stomach right now then just leave it."

Sapnap took a moment to nod quietly, pouring he rest of the water into the sink before standing back up.

"Can I get back 'n bed now?" Karl tiredly asked, sitting up a little more as he reached for Sapnap's hand. He quickly found it, like he always did.

The Texan slowly eased Karl up, taking most of his body weight to prevent Karl from falling over. He wasn't exactly the most balanced person at the best of times, let alone now.

Punz scooted back a little so he wasn't in the way, and he watched as Sapnap gently lead Karl back to his bed, hearing the quiet words of affirmation that followed once they reached the bunk.

"I'm gonna go downstairs and check how everyone else is doing." Dream stated, slowly standing and stretching, uncomfortable from the position he'd fallen asleep in the previous night, electing to ignore the general soreness that lingered below his chest.

The others in the room just left him to it, mostly trying to keep to themselves. Nobody particularly wanted to get sick, but at this point it was rather unavoidable. So now, those not yet inflicted, were just awaiting the ticking time bomb.

Dream made his way down the hall, taking note of how many bedrooms had their doors shut. He couldn't hear any alarming sounds coming from any of the bathrooms, so he classed that as a mental win.

His quiet footsteps continued down the stairs, being mindful of the fact it was only 9am, and while to some that seemed a perfectly reasonable time to wake up, this was a house full of streamers, who streamed at all hours of the day- and there was still jet lag to deal with.

"Morning mate." Phil greeted, sat at the kitchen table with Kristin, both of whom were eating a bowl of cereal. Kristin gave a kind smile, not looking very awake yet.

"Morning." Dream nodded, turning his head away to yawn, also subtly palming his face for a temperature. Unfortunately, he did seem to be running hot at the minute. He spotted a few people on the sofas as he did so, and those currently seated were Jack, Niki and Tubbo.

Tubbo was seemingly asleep, while Jack and Niki were talking quietly.

Phil finished his cereal and pushed the bowl out of his immediate vicinity on the table, crossing his arms and leaning forward, tapping on the wood.

"Did anyone else get sick in the night?" Dream questioned, leaning on the back of one of the uninhabited chairs, rocking softly, looking for anything that wasn't food related to focus on.

Unfortunately, Phil nodded. Dream wasn't surprised.

The oldest of the house rubbed his face tiredly, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. "Ranboo came to wake me at like...I dunno, some ungodly hour. He'd fallen asleep down here and woke up like, really feverish."

Dream furrowed his brow, concern beginning to tighten his chest. His stomach churned. He ignored it. "How high was it?"

Phil thought for a few moments, before Kristin took over. "It wasn't like dangerous high, don't worry. He was just kinda like, confused? He felt sick as well and just wanted some comfort before going to bed."

Dream nodded in understanding, assuming that Ranboo had been inflicted with Norovirus, just like George had, just like Karl had. Just like he had.

Just like they all would.

"How about your lot? I'm guessing George isn't much better yet."

Phil wasn't surprised when he learnt the sickness had spread to Karl, given the fact he knew Dream and Karl has taken it in shifts to care for George- but it also made him worry. Karl had spent quite a bit of time with Wilbur the previous day, and he hoped that the sickness hadn't spread following that close contact.

He also grew concerned, finally taking a decent look at Dream. His face was pretty pale yet his cheeks were flushed, and he just overall looked uncomfortable. For now, he held off on saying something.

"Wilbur had another panic attack this morning, that's why Jack and Niki are down here, so he can have the room to himself for a bit. He's gone into his germaphobe mindset, so he needs to deep clean their room."

It was understandable, and a clever precaution. Dream had considered doing the same, but there was double the amount of people in his room, and he doubted George and Karl wanted to move too far from their beds. He also had no energy right now, he just refused to accept why.

"Snows coming down heavier now." Jack stated, mesmerised by the weather outside the large living room window. Dream understood how Tubbo was asleep now, the atmosphere was immensely relaxing.

"Those vans don't have proper snow tires either do they?" Niki questioned, immediately being met with a head shake from Phil.

"I think Wilbur and I are gonna take one into town before the snow gets too deep, just to make sure we've got plenty of stuff if we were to lose power or anything."

"Clever idea." Dream agreed with a nod, leaning back against the countertop, noticing that the hollow ache in his stomach was beginning to become more apparent, yet he still attempted to ignore it.

The Floridian rubbed his hands together slowly, before using one to cover his mouth as a silent burp escaped. It was followed by a disgusting aftertaste, which Dream quickly tried to swallow.

He must have made a face, because Phil sat up a little straighter.

"Are you...fairing alright mate?" He asked cautiously, alarm bells ringing in his head. It should have come to Phil sooner that Dream would be very high on the list of those likely to catch it, especially with his obvious intimacy he displayed with the supplier of the sickness.

Dream just quietly nodded, knowing he'd only be able to keep up this act for so long. Heck, his walls were already beginning to crumble.

"You don't have to like, pretend to be okay. We're all gonna get it at this point, no need to delay the inevitable." Kristin reminded, picking up her and Phil's bowls and leaving them on the counter to sort out later.

Still, Dream remained quiet, tightly tensing his jaw as his shoulders stiffened. His hands cautiously gripped the counter he was currently leaning up against, as his legs had suddenly weakened.

"I think you'd be better sitting down right now, you don't look all too stable on your feet." Phil stated, standing and walking to where Dream was standing, pulling the chair out that was closest to him. Dream held onto the table as he slowly sat down, covering his mouth as he began to rapidly swallow.

Kristin began rummaging through the cupboards, quickly finding what she was looking for. It was an old plastic bowl, seemingly something that had once been used for washing up, but had now been discarded into the depths of storage.

Phil took it from her and practically shoved it into Dream's lap, not wanting to take any chances. It was a good job he did, because almost immediately Dream gave an almost silent retch- only made audible by the sounds his throat made.

"Okay, just relax, let your body do what it needs to do." Kristin said gently, grabbing an empty glass so she could fill it with water for when the Floridian was done.

Jack looked over, before quietly whispering to Niki. "Another one bites the dust."

She didn't find him amusing.

"Phil just messaged me." Punz said as he sat up, having just been lying on his bed, scrolling through TikTok.

Sapnap lifted his head to see what was going on, as he was sat on the side of Karl's bed, rubbing his back to try and help him back to sleep. He was almost asleep, but had begun shifting again once Punz had spoken up.

"What's he said?" He questioned, keeping his voice low, aware of the fact George and Quackity were still asleep. Both of which were very light sleepers, especially right now.

Punz took a few moments to respond, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and beginning to stand. "It's Dream. He's in a bad way."

That was all Sapnap needed to hear before he joined Punz in the mad dash downstairs- well, it was more like a fast paced walk, as they didn't want to make too much noise.

They were greeted by Phil and Kristin with their backs facing towards the stairs, crouched on the floor beside someone. Jack was on the opposite side, and Niki was pulling a chair out the way.

In the middle of it all, was Dream, down on the floor on his hands and knees as he cradled his stomach, harsh sobs escaping him as his body desperately tried to expel the contents of his already empty stomach.

"He's gonna end up pulling himself." Jack mentioned, easily seeing how much Dream was straining himself. It was a miracle he hadn't pulled a muscle yet- or maybe he had and it just hadn't set in yet.

"Jesus, I know George and Karl were bad but they weren't this bad." Punz stated, unsure of how to help in this situation. He wanted to help, but he didn't want to interfere.

Sapnap was a little taken aback, before he thought for a moment. "He has a high pain tolerance for like, anything else, but when it's his stomach he goes like-."

Dream groaned and whined as Phil eased him up, sitting him against the chair Niki had moved.

"Like this."

Phil looked up with a puzzled expression. "Are you sure that's healthy? Not any underlying reasons?"

Sapnap shrugged, not entirely sure himself. "He went through of phase of getting it checked out but then it stopped bothering him for a while."

"That doesn't surprise me." Punz agreed with the statement, knowing that that was certainly something Dream would do.

"Stop talking like m' not here. Gimme a fuckin sec." Dream mumbled, definitely not in the most approachable mood. It was understandable, it didn't seem like he was having a very jolly morning.

The group fell silent for a few moments while Dream caught his breath, still very tightly holding his stomach as he hunched forward, as if he were afraid of all his organs spilling out if he dared move his arms.

"We need to get you up to bed before the next wave of nausea comes, we're not being dicks we're just worried about you." Sapnap spoke softly, listening to his longterm best friend as he continued to choke on his tears.

Kristin, still armed with her glass of water, forced the sick boy to have a few sips, knowing he wouldn't be able to cry while he was drinking. It was a tip she'd learnt when she used to work with children, and she was yet to find someone it didn't work on.

"Relax, you're alright, we've got you." Phil reassured, watching as Jack moved out the way, soon being replaced by Sapnap. Kristin then shifted too, being replaced by Punz.

"I'm not saying this is gonna be the smoothest thing ever, but if you're so insistent on holding yourself like that then this is the only way we're gonna get you up." Punz warned, looking to Sapnap, who immediately caught on.

Dream just seemed to worked up to care right now, nodding at everything that was directed to him. He hurt so much, he just wanted to be back in his bed.

Sapnap and Punz moved so they were both on opposite sides, placing a hand on Dream's elbow, and another on his shoulder.

"Three, two, one, up." And with that, Dream was pulled to his feet with a groan, immediately leaning most of his weight on Sapnap.

"Yknow, this would be fine if you weren't a lot taller than me." Sapnap said quietly, grateful when Punz pulled Dream so they could more share his weight.

"That went a lot better than I thought it would." Phil stated honestly, expecting Dream to put up more of a fight, especially with how dismissive for help he'd been a few moments prior.

"No offence, but he's lived with Sapnap for over a year now, and he's known Punz a long time too." Jack said with a shrug, beginning to look through the cupboards to find something to have for breakfast.

"You just sat and watched a guy throw up and the next thing on your list is breakfast?" Niki questioned, feeling a little queasy from the sight they'd all been forced to endure.

Jack shrugged, finding a pack of toaster waffles that were yet to be opened.

"Well, now we know that whoever has been close to George is definitely gonna get it. This bug isn't showing mercy to anyone."

"Yeah, yeah no shit."

"Just- one foot in front of the other!" Sapnap urged, his frustration beginning to peak as he and Punz slowly got closer to the bedroom. It had taken them long enough to get here, and Dream was no longer cooperating.

"Nick just chill, we aren't gonna move him any faster by shouting." Punz attempted to keep a level head, understanding from both perspectives. Dream was sick, he could hardly talk at the minute. Sapnap had a short temper when he was anxious, and he just wanted his friend to be better.

A few slow steps later and they reached the door of the bedroom, which Sapnap reached to open, watching as Quackity quickly sat up, like he'd been scared awake.

"Could be a bit quieter." He mumbled, his voice raspy from the fact he'd just woken up. He flopped back into the bed with a sigh, hoping to go back to sleep for a while.

Punz and Sapnap decided to listen to him, awkwardly getting Dream through the door as quietly as possible, finally breathing a sigh of relief once he was sat up on his bed, looking dazed, pale and miserable.

"I'm gonna go get that bowl from downstairs, you get his shirt off and a cold towel ready before he gets too hot." Punz explained and instructed, watching as Sapnap nodded.

His trip downstairs informed him that Tubbo hadn't been too fond of the rude awakening, and was now displaying similar symptoms.

"This things spreading like wildfire, we need to go get shit sooner rather than later." Phil stated, walking by Punz to go and get dressed and ready.

Punz simply kept walking through the kitchen, finding the now cleaned bowl that Dream had been using just a few minutes prior. He rinsed it out again just to be sure it was clean.

"Did you manage to get him upstairs without any spillages?" Kristin asked, waiting for Punz to finish at the sink so she could soak a face cloth for Tubbo.

"Yeah, he wasn't the most cooperative, but he's held up so far." He answered with a nod, moving out of the way, tucking the bowl beneath his arm.

"Shit like this happens, it's fine. Our fate was already sealed the moment George started feeling unwell, it just seems to be our luck with group holidays."

Jack was right, there wasn't really anything that anyone could do now that the virus was in motion. It would just be a case of riding it out, and praying that Phil and Wilbur were able to get some Pedialyte or something.

"I think we're most likely gonna try to stay in our rooms, especially if people are unwell. It's understandable to not want to mix with others when it feels like your stomach is being pressed by an anvil." Punz cringed as the statement brought a horrific image in his head, and he began heading back upstairs.

"I'll make sure someone brings some stuff up later!" Kristin shouted up, as she and Jack rejoined Niki on the couch, where Tubbo was currently residing.

"I've decided I want to die."

"Bit dramatic, mate."

Dream writhed on his mattress, just wishing that his intestines would stop twisting for just a moment to provide him with some sort of relief. Alas, they did not.

A sharp cramp was accompanied by a whine, which was muffled into his pillow. No matter what way he lay, sat or stood, his agony seemed to continue.

He was in so much pain that he didn't even care what was happening around him, in fact he didn't even clock the fact Sapnap and Punz were standing beside his bed until one of them crouched down and started talking to him- he couldn't determine who it was just yet.

The lingering voices continued, and Dream was certain he heard a third, soon followed by a hand on his forehead for a few moments. He yearned for the touch to stay, but the hand seemed to recoil faster when he gave a pained groan.

Just as his situation couldn't get any worse, Dream felt the familiar sensation of nausea forcing his mouth to be swimming with saliva. He swallowed thickly, to the point where it actually hurt his throat.

"He is actually awake, isn't he?" A voice interrupted his thoughts, and yet Dream still couldn't place a name to the person speaking. It would be easier to tell if he opened his eyes, but he had them tightly squeezed shut to avoid seeing anything that would make himself feel worse.

"He breathes with his mouth open when he's asleep, so he's either awake and ignoring you guys or he feels so shitty he can't be bothered to give a response." That voice was further away, but still not miles away.

All this talking was making Dream's head swim, and that combined with the ever-growing nausea was making a reappearance of his digestive system rather likely.

So, with that thought in mind, the very sick boy shifted, intending to make enough space in the bed so he could roll onto his back without any harsh movements.

Its a shame he forgot he was only in a single bed, and not the double he was used to.

Before Dream could even register he was falling, he'd hit the floor. He immediately tried to sit up, being met with a few hands on his back and people beside him.

"Yeah, not in a double anymore pal." Dream knew that voice, it was Sapnap. He was certain it was, but he still cracked his eyes open to check, turning his eyes to see Punz, Sapnap and Quackity worriedly watching him.

All he could manage to do was nod, not trusting himself to open his mouth, especially with how dizzy falling had made him feel.

Two gentle hands hooked under his arms, slowly spinning him round and sitting him up, his back hitting the side of his bed as he leaned backwards.

"I feel so sick." That much was common knowledge, but hearing Dream actually admit to his discomfort was a rare sighting, and it let the others know how miserable he actually was.

"You don't look well at all." Quackity stated, going back to climb on his bed. Not that he didn't want to help, he just didn't know how to help.

Punz made a quick trip to the bathroom, taking the towel Sapnap had soaked earlier and going to cool it down again, intending to rest it against Dream's forehead.

"Right, we're gonna get you back in your bed, and you're not gonna fall out of it this time." Sapnap made sure to say everything he intended on doing, not wanting to take his friend by surprise and potentially make him worse.

Dream just hunched forward, wrapping his arms around his stomach again, immediately feeling a gentle hand on his upper back.

"I know, it sucks ass." Sapnap soothed, patting Dream's back softly before he stood, his knees hurting from squatting for so long.

The younger of the two leant forward again, pulling the sick Floridian up slowly, waiting until he was upright enough to lightly push him backwards, making him sit back down on the bed.

Unfortunately, once he was sat down, all the slow movements began to mush together, and Dream felt his stomach begin to churn horribly, and with the amount of pressure he was adding from the position he was sat in the discomfort increased tenfold.

The sickly burp he let out was practically silent to Sapnap's ears, especially since his back was turned, his attention turning to George as he'd begun speaking quietly.

Punz returned with the washcloth, and didn't even get the chance to rest it on Dream's neck before the sickest person in the room heaved, immediately forcing Sapnap to step back if he wanted to avoid getting his socks wet.

"Of course the buckets on the other side, why wouldn't it be?" Punz said, very much beginning to sound pissed off. It was understandable, it hand been a long morning, especially given the fact he'd been awoken by Karl very early.

Dream couldn't help but feel immense guilt at the harsh tone, to the point where he was fighting to not let tears roll down his face. His attempts were unsuccessful, and now he was close to sobbing. Maybe he already was, all Dream knew for certain was that he was still very much throwing up.

At least this time the bowl was there to catch the sticky bile, protecting the floor from a fresh coating. Sapnap had already climbed across George's bed so he could completely avoid the mess, much to the Brit's complaints.

When Dream was finally pumped dry, Punz wasted no time in excusing himself back to then bathroom to empty the bowl, and Sapnap was distracted by Karl, who had just woken up again.

George sat up in his bed, turning his head to watch as Dream sobbed, continuing to hold himself as the pain refused to let up.

He couldn't just sit there, so within a few moments George had made the short trip from his bed, sitting beside Dream on his mattress, having been careful to avoid the mess on the floor.

George used his thumbs to wipe Dream's tears from his eyes, cupping his face softly, electing to ignore his own discomfort for the time being. He had more important things to deal with right now.

It couldn't have taken much longer than a second for Dream to remove his arms from around his stomach, instead engulfing George in a tight hug, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

"It's okay, I've got you." George whispered softly, one hand rubbing soothing circles into Dream's back while the other cradled the back of his head. He tilted his head to the side a little, just wanting to hold the sick boy as close as possible.

Dream continued to quietly sob, sucking in harsh breaths at whatever chance he got, his hands refusing to settle, and his legs writhing as the pain continued to gnaw at his insides.

"I'm not going anywhere, you can breathe, it's alright." George continued with his quiet, soothing words, words only spoken loud enough for Dream to hear. There was a quick nod into George's shoulder, letting the Brit know that his words were being heard.

A few minutes of broken sobs, desperate whimpers and unintelligible mumblings, Dream was finally getting a slight break from his discomfort. He was far from feeling better, but he was no longer sobbing from the agony.

"You up for something to drink? Phil and Wilbur just got back from the store." Quackity called out, swinging his legs over the side of his bed, narrowly avoiding kicking Punz in the head.

"Just bring a selection, they probably got quite a few.” Sapnap said, his voice low considering the fact he had Karl’s head resting against his chest. The two were sat up, but Karl was just slowly beginning to droop.

“Oh so I’m the one who had to get it, I see how it is.” Quackity sarcastically complained, jumping down from his bed. He’d intended on going downstairs anyway, as he wanted some form of breakfast.

Nobody else wanted anything at this moment in time, so Quackity headed downstairs after that.

“That puke needs cleaning up but sorry, I’m not doing it. I’ve cleaned up way too much vomit for one day.” Punz surrendered, lying down on his bunk and beginning to scroll through TikTok.

“I’ll sort it.” George said, after a few moments of silent consideration. He was still holding Dream close, only now they were sat side by side, with George’s arm hanging loosely across Dream’s shoulders.

In all fairness, George was actually feeling a lot better than he had been the previous day, with his nausea clearing up at some point in the night. He was still nowhere near well enough to be too far from a bathroom, but he was definitely on the mend.

“What kind of fucking bug is this? It beats your ass one day and the next you’re fine?” Sapnap mumbled, still loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Well, of course it’s gonna look violent with how much it makes you throw up at first, but much like many digestive related sicknesses it quickly moves on. Yeah, get ready for a few nights in the bathroom.”

“Always one with words, George.” Punz scoffed, rewatching the same TikTok a couple times.

“Oh I’m sorry, once the puking stops you shit yourself, is that better?”

“Oh my god- shut up!”

The room fell quiet with soft laughter, and George was pleased to see a shy smile upon Dream’s face.

He leaned in closer so his whispers wouldn’t be heard by anyone else, feeling insanely protective over the sick Floridian right now.

“You lie down now, alright? I’ll be two minutes. That’s all.”

A tired nod and some shuffling later, Dream had found a semi-comfortable position, while George was busy cleaning up the small amount of bile that had gotten on the floor. It had sounded like there was a bigger spillage, but alas, there was not.

And once Dream, George and Karl had been gifted a bottle of pedialyte, Punz and Quackity decided on staying downstairs. Punz, for the saw of his own sanity. Quackity, because he wanted a change of scenery.

The remaining four elected on attempting to sleep, only taking up two of the beds in the room. It was fine, Sapnap had already accepted the fact he was gonna get sick, and what did George have to lose? What was he gonna do, get sick again?

Well, that is a possibility, but he didn’t care.

Instead, he busied himself by drawing shapes on Dream’s back, occasionally excusing himself to use to bathroom but otherwise fairing alright.

They couldn’t even begin to imagine the carnage happening within each bedroom of the house…

Chapter Text

"George?"

The Brit in question turned his head upon hearing his name, currently in the midst of raiding the cupboards for whatever decent food he could find.

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Wilbur's voice was quiet as he lingered at the bottom of the stairs, mask covering his face. Much like George, he didn't appear very awake.

George gave a nonchalant shrug, gesturing to the plate on the counter beside him. "Getting a snack, what are you doing with a mask on?"

Now was Wilbur's turn to shrug as he leant on the wall, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark.

"Don't wanna catch whatever bug you've brought us, speaking of which weren't you like, bound to the bathroom a minute ago?"

George rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, never being one for verbally discussing his health if he could avoid it. He'd much rather just go back to his snacking.

"Well, I-I wouldn't say I was bound. I'm not exactly healthy, but I'm well enough that if I have to eat another bowl of soup I'll smash it on someone's head."

It was an understandable frustration, especially with an already decreased toleration of anything that minutely bothered him at the moment. George began to think that maybe it was true that stomach pain makes you grouchy.

Wilbur stepped forward a little to have a closer look at George's concoction. It was very clear he'd just grabbed whatever seemed appealing to him, while still maintaining a diet that was easy on his stomach.

He scoffed lightly. "It looks like a meal a toddler made."

In all honesty, Wilbur doubted that George's meal of plain bread, crisps, a few biscuits and some dry cereal was something that a toddler would put together, but it was still a weird concoction nonetheless.

"I'd much rather eat this than have crackers. I'm gonna make some toast then go back up to my room, if you wanna hang out while I do that."

Wilbur took George up on that offer, sitting at the dinner table as he watched George put 2 slices of bread in the toaster. "Whose it for? I doubt you'd be able to eat that much with how bad you got."

"Karl can't sleep and he's hungry, but he's still in early stages." George took a moment to sigh, thoughts swimming in his head. "Honestly I think I got off lightly in terms of the, you know. Karl has just been, yeah-. And Dream! He's been, he's been really bad with it since like, 9am."

The older of the two nodded in understanding, thankful for the fact George didn't specify that the two had been vomiting all day. It was easy to tell that that's what he meant, but it wasn't as bad when it wasn't outwardly said.

"Ranboo has ended up in Phil and Kristin's room, he was way too bad to be left alone. Tubbo is fairing okay, Tommy is, well, he's Tommy. Jack and Niki have been wearing their masks around me."

Wilbur was happy to be talking, he'd spent most of the day with his headphones on, the only time he'd spent outside was with Phil, when they'd taken 2 hours to go to the store due to how slowly Phil insisted on driving.

"Yeah it's, it's not a nice bug, I'll tell you that much." George admitted, not really wanting Wilbur to be left in the dark when it came to the severity of the sickness.

A peaceful silence fell over the two, soon interrupted by the toaster obnoxiously flinging the two pieces of toast a few centimetres in the air. George quickly put them on a plate.

"I think I'm done down here now, see you in the morning." He nodded to Wilbur, awkwardly balancing the two plates as he made his way back upstairs.

Wilbur gave a quiet wave, running his hand through his hair. Now he was alone, his thoughts were left to run rampant. What did George mean when he said it wasn't a 'nice' bug? Of course it wouldn't be nice!

Did it mean he was just going to, randomly start throwing up everywhere without warning? Would his stomach be in his throat within a few seconds of feeling nauseous?

Everything he'd read online made it very clear that the horrible sickness would be sudden, and while it would only last a few days, it would be a few days of being sent round the rings of hell.

The terrifying thoughts in his head continued to spin, spiralling out of control. Wilbur dug his nails into the soft wood of the table, and the soft tremble of his body forced him forwards, hunching slightly over the surface in front of him.

Panicked breaths then followed, which Wilbur attempted to silence. He failed, frustratedly biting into his fist to try and snap himself out of it.

The quiet click of a light switch wasn't enough, neither was the way the room suddenly became bright- George had been relying on a small overhead light on the fan above the oven, and even though it had been left on, it didn't do much for illuminating the room.

"Wilbur? Hey, you're alright, tap on the table with me." Sapnap gently requested, sitting across from the panicked brit.

Of course, the 25 year old did his best to copy the rhythm that Sapnap presented him with, recognising it to be an arctic monkeys song. He put all his focus into tapping back, eventually adding his own spin with his other hand.

Tap tap

Tap tap

Tap tap
Tap tap
Tap tap
Tap tap

"I didn't know you liked arctic monkeys." Wilbur quietly spoke, his voice a little broken from his previous panic.

"I listen to them sometimes...are you okay?" Wilbur hadn't heard that tone before. He'd heard Sapnap when he was being shy, he'd heard him when he was nervous, he'd heard him when he was screaming his lungs out during a random game. This, this was different.

He nodded of course, why wouldn't he? Physically, as long as he hadn't caught this virus, he was completely fine.

"Just, get spooked?" Sapnap continued, standing up to get himself a glass of water, offering one to Wilbur, who gratefully accepted it.

"Yeah, George came downstairs." He took a few sips of water. "I was fine, I was talking with him, and then he went back upstairs and my head just went, yeah."

Sapnap nodded in understanding, drinking a good portion of his water. "I get you 100%. Not a nice experience, 0/10 on yelp."

The attempted joke made Wilbur smile lightly, and he shook his head.

"I'm just, really tired. I need to sleep." He admitted, rubbing his eyes with his fist, fighting to hold back a yawn.

"Well, Jack and Niki are still alright, so you'll be alright. I haven't got any symptoms yet, so as of right now I'm alright."

The reassurance did help, and Wilbur thanked Sapnap as he stood, thanking him again once he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Sapnap remained seated at the table, tapping on the side of his glass. He didn't understand why he felt so, off. He certainly didn't feel ill, but something just wasn't sitting right with him.

He breathed deeply, feeling an all too familiar tightness in his chest as he did so. Sapnap sighed, picking up both his and Wilbur's abandoned drinks and pouring the remains down the drain. He switched off the lights again, unsure of why he'd gone downstairs in the first place.

The walk back to his room was almost silent, excuse the feverish rambling he heard from Phil and Kristin's room. He elected to ignore it, continuing down the hall until he reached his room.

Sapnap found his hand hovering over the door handle, physically unable to actually touch it or even attempt to open the door. He groaned in frustration, stepping back so he could lean against the wall, slowly sliding down.

Once seated, he fixed his pyjama shirt, having felt his back become exposed when he slid down the wall. The material was nice, it was soft. It was a matching set his mom had bought him for Christmas.

So now, situated on the floor, only a metre away from his door, Sapnap pulled his knees up, resting his head atop.

He breathed deeply again, being met with an identical twinge in his chest. "Fuck off." He grumbled, shifting until the feeling became less obnoxious.

Sapnap closed his eyes, continuing to breathe, swaying gently.

A gentle nudging. That's what Sapnap opened his eyes to.

Well, he more so cracked one eye open, immediately being hit with a tightness in his back, and a general haze clouding his vision.

Ah.
He'd fallen asleep.

"Nick? Hey, wake up." Jack quietly requested, patting Sapnap's shoulder. He was quite worried, trying to think of reasons as to how the Texan had ended up here.

Sapnap groaned, sitting up a little and stretching, mindful of the tenderness in his back. He fixed his hair a little, unsure how it had gotten so messy.

"Come on, you've gotta be feeling really unwell if you fell asleep in the hall." Jack quickly jumped to a logical conclusion, attempting to help Sapnap up.

Sapnap furrowed his brow, standing with a little assistance. "What? No, no I'm not sick." He insisted, trying to shrug Jack off of him, not making much of an effort due to the fact he'd just woken up.

However, Jack stood strong, keeping his hand on Sapnap's shoulder. "Listen, you don't have to try and pretend you're not sick. You're pale, running hot and I could hear your stomach when I came out my room. C'mon, back to bed."

Despite still feeling relatively healthy, Sapnap thought it would be easier if he didn't fight it, walking in front of Jack as they entered the bedroom, being very quiet as everyone still seemed to be asleep.

"If you've got enough supplies I'll leave you to it, don't get dehydrated." Jack whispered, patting Sapnap's shoulder before closing the door.

Sapnap held his breath as he was met with the sound of sheets rustling. He intended on waiting until it stopped before climbing into his bed.

"Nick? You're sick too?" Karl groggily called out, his throat sore from how much he'd thrown up the day previous. The nausea had cleared up a little in the evening, but that only meant more uncomfortable symptoms were soon to follow.

Sapnap wasn't entirely sure himself. He was starting to feel off, like that general feverish ache you get before the sickness fully sets in.

So instead of answering, Sapnap took a deep breath, taking the few steps to Karl's bunk, somehow managing to squeeze in. In all honesty, the bunk beds seemed to be a little bigger than the single beds.

The cover was thrown over him, and soon a gentle hand was tangled within his hair. It became impossible to stay awake, especially with Karl's body heat beside him.

"So what, it's just me and Alex who can sufficiently provide shit now?" Punz questioned, mindful of how loud he was being. The only person asleep now was Sapnap, as everyone else had eventually woken up.

"I wouldn't exactly say I'm capable right now, I'll be honest." Quackity admitted from his bed, holding up a trash can that had previously been hidden from view. "Haven't thrown up yet, but fucking hell I can feel it."

"So great. Just me." Punz sighed in defeat, leaning against the wall. It hadn't been so bad when he had Sapnap to help him, but he'd since been filled in by Karl and Jack that it seemed as though he'd gotten sick too.

"Well, I'm pretty much better now, I just can't do too much or if feels like my intestines are filled with acid." George piped up, now sat up on his bed, rather than snuggling Dream.

"Technically they are." Dream called out quietly, voice muffled by his pillow. He couldn't exactly be classed as awake. Coherent? Yes. Awake? No.

"Jack told me that Sapnap was asleep in the hall this morning." Punz informed the others, hoping to get some more answers. He most certainly wasn't awake late last night, but the sick individuals most likely were.

George thought quietly for a few moments. "Well I went down at about 2 and was with Wilbur for a while, then I brought up my food and Karl's toast. Sapnap went downstairs not long after because he was hungry."

Punz did the maths in his head. "And Jack found him at around 7, so that means he was asleep in the hall for what could easily be 5 hours...do you think he was having a nightmare?"

Karl shrugged, resting the back of his palm against Sapnap's head. "He feels quite warm, and his stomach is being weird."

George scoffed lightly. "It's Sapnap, his stomach is always being weird. He could've just ate some starburst or something."

Quackity sat up again. "Why starburst?"

"Cuz Sapnap is weird and starburst upset his stomach."

However, given how concerned Jack was when Punz spoke with him only a few minutes ago, he decided it would be best to treat it as if Sapnap had Norovirus.

They didn't have to wait long to find out the truth, as the Texan in question became restless in his sleep, tightly gripping Karl's pyjama shirt, constantly mumbling things that nobody could understand, and constantly shifting as if he was uncomfortable.

Karl began to rub Sapnap's back once he'd rolled over onto his stomach, just attempting to wake him up enough to the point where the group could get a coherent answer from him.

Sapnap sat up not longer later, his movements tired and sluggish. He really wasn't helping to deny the idea that he was actually yet to catch the bug.

With his eyes still mostly shut, Sapnap began to sway, being held up by Karl. "You feeling okay?"

"M' tired." He answered quietly, despite the fact he'd slept for around 5 hours when Jack found him, and another 4 once returning to the bedroom.

While the others didn't really take it as a proper answer, Karl began to wrack his brain, which was difficult with how much his stomach was bothering him.

He thought back to the times when it had just been him and Sapnap during meet-ups, especially when they had bigger things planned.

If anything was bothering the younger of the two, he'd never outwardly admit it. He used this same tactic, constantly saying that he was tired. Not physically, more so mentally.

"What's up?" Karl quietly continued, feeling that it was understandable for Sapnap, Punz and Quackity to be tired after trying to care for 3 sick people.

Sapnap didn't answer that question, instead shifting to rest his head against Karl's chest, just needing something to help ground him a little.

"Why did you fall asleep in the hall?" Now was Punz's turn to start asking questions, using a gentler tone when he realised that there was most likely a bigger picture here.

Sapnap shrugged, cracking his knuckles. "Couldn't come in." His voice was quiet, disguising an embarrassed undertone to his words. A slight blush began to cover his cheeks, just further confusing everyone.

"George did you lock the fucking door after going to the bathroom down the hall?" Karl questioned, knowing that Dream had occupied the bathroom in their room, so George had to use another to refill his glass of water.

"What? No, of course I didn't." George quickly answered, his tone a bit harsher than he thought it would be. It was a perfectly normal question to ask. "Sorry, no, no I didn't."

"No not like, I didn't even touch the handle." Sapnap mumbled, his voice muffled by Karl's shirt as he continued to lean into him.

Punz, Karl and George exchanged confused glances. "What? So you just, didn't even try to open the door?" Punz continued, sitting on the edge of Karl's bed.

"I wanna go back to sleep." Sapnap changed the subject, moving his head from Karl's chest, beginning to lie back down again. He was prevented by a hand on his back.

"Nick. Talk to us, it's very obvious that something is bothering you." Karl encouraged, using a firmer tone to try and convey his message. He looked deeply into Sapnap's eyes, which were beginning to fill with tears.

When no answer followed, Karl moved his hand to gently cup his boyfriend's face, thumb gently rolling over his cheek. Karl nodded gently, trying to prompt Sapnap into a response.

Still, silence. The only sound the distressed boy made was a whine, followed by him lying back down, hiding his face in Karl's side, mindful of how much pressure he put against his stomach.

With a quiet tut, Karl simply let his hands become tangled in Sapnap's hair, looking to Punz with a simultaneously confused and worried expression.

However instead of continuing to push, the two gave in with gentle shrugs. Punz gently pat Sapnap's leg before standing, heading downstairs to replenish their pedialyte stock.

The Texan shifted again, moving to lie on his back so he could look up at Karl. He hated days like this, when he couldn't understand what his own body was trying to tell him. Deep down, he knew what he was experiencing, it was inevitable. He still refused to admit defeat.

His stomach cramped.

Okay, so maybe defeat was easier to admit than before.

Sapnap couldn't stop the choked whine that escaped him, or the painful hiccup that almost made him sit back up again.

"That was a loud one." Karl commented, shifting the pillows so that Sapnap would be able to sit up a little, finding that when he first started feeling ill that this was the most comfortable position for him.

"Luke is gonna be pissed." Sapnap mumbled, shifting and waiting for his body to relax into the new position. He hiccuped again, whining as he palmed his stomach.

"Is that what you've been worried about?" Karl questioned, his voice low as he leaned closer. After a few seconds of consideration, Sapnap gave a subtle nod.

The shorter male was immediately met with a gentle arm across his chest, hugging him awkwardly. Karl was propped up on his left side, not sure on whether or not he wanted to sit or lie down. This was comfortable enough for now.

The sound of the door opening again startled Sapnap more than it should have, pushing him to roll onto his side, his back facing Karl as he intended to hide his face from the others.

"Got the drinks. Phil said he wants to talk with you, Nick." Punz said, beginning to take all the drinks out of the bag, standing them up on the dresser by the door.

Anxiety began to swirl in Sapnap's stomach, adding to the subtle hints of nausea that were beginning to bubble in his throat. He swallowed thickly, sitting up slowly. "Why?"

"Dunno, he just asked if you were up and wanted to talk about something." Punz shrugged, passing George the strawberry flavoured drink, knowing it was the only one he'd been able to stomach.

Sapnap coughed quietly, feeling as Karl began to rub his back again. He very much considered just laying back down, in fact he was getting closer and closer to that outcome.

"Couldn't you have told him I'm miserable? Or tell him to come up here?" He questioned, slouching on the edge of the bed as he held his stomach.

"I'm sure it won't take you long." George added, knowing that sometimes his friend just needed a bit of a push to get things done. Well, on some days more than others.

Sapnap sighed quietly, swinging his legs back over the bed, beginning to lie back down again. "It can wait till later." He grumbled, definitely not in the greatest of moods.

He didn't care for any of the things happening outside the room, instead only able to focus on the burning pain in his stomach, and the occasional twinge of pain in his ear.

"Dude, just go talk to him. Stop being weird, it'll only take a sec."

Sapnap didn't respond to that.

Karl decided he'd be more comfortable sitting up, leaving his lap free to use as a pillow. The opportunity was immediately seized, and he was met with his boyfriend's head, back facing the rest of the room and his face only a short distance from his stomach.

"He obviously doesn't feel well, just leave him be." Quackity added, siting up to receive the bottle of medicine from Punz as he continued to pass them around.

Sapnap really didn't enjoy this, when everyone was talking about him while he was literally sat right there. He inhaled shakily, feeling the first signs that he was gonna throw up.

He swallowed, grimacing as his stomach made a distressed noise at the position he was currently lying in. Still, he made no attempt to move, hoping the attention would be taken from him if he did so.

"Just- get his temperature. If he's got a fever, he's not going and you need to get him one of those popsicles and if he hasn't then he has to go downstairs."

Karl's compromise seemed fair, everyone else who'd gotten the sickness had immediately begin to run hot, and Karl had no doubts against the fact that it was happening here, he could feel Sapnap's back burning by the way he was pressed against his side.

Punz shrugged as he grabbed the thermometer, making his way to Karl's bed, scanning Karl again while he was there. While his fever had started to break, he was still very warm.

He then tried it on himself, unsurprised by the fact his temperature was neutral. Then, he moved to the other side of the bed, crouching down due to Sapnap's awkward position.

"Alright, you know how it works, quick beep." Punz said, watching as his friend seemed to curl up on himself more and more.

A quick scan and a high pitched beep later, Punz clicked his tongue. "I wanna make sure I'm getting a proper reading." He stated, before shoving the thermometer up the front of Sapnap's shirt.

"What the-!" Sapnap suddenly sat up, immediately dizzying from the rapid movement. Karl gripped his shoulders as he forced himself to sit up, trying to calm Sapnap back down a little.

Another beep followed.

"Yeah, no you're not going to talk to Phil." Punz quickly agreed, scanning himself just to make sure the thermometer was working properly.

"What is it?" Sapnap asked, shifting as his stomach refused to settle, making noises annoyingly loudly. Karl's hand attempted to soothe the obvious discomfort, but to no avail.

"102.8. So, it's high. Not dangerous high, we only have to call someone if it gets above 103." Punz recalled what Phil had told him the day previously, remembering that Ranboo's temperature had been at 102.9 for a large majority of the day.

"So it's time for a change of clothes." Karl added, moving his hand so he could help Sapnap sit back up again.

All this movement was starting to become a bit much, and Punz and Karl watched as the colour drained from the sick boy's face.

"We need more buckets." Punz stated the obvious, hauling Sapnap up as quick as possible to try and get him to the bathroom in time.

By some miracle, they made it without any major spillages. Sapnap's pyjamas weren't so lucky, as he hadn't been able to get his head over the toilet before the acidic bile was spilling out of his mouth with a choked gag.

"Alright, just chill, get it up." Punz encouraged, using a gentler tone after realising how much his friend was shaking.

Sapnap lay his head on the toilet seat, wrapping both his arms tightly around his stomach to the point where it was actually starting to hurt, badly. However the pressure was helping to bring up the small amount of food that remained in his stomach.

A soft pair of hands gently held Sapnap's wrists, loosening the pressure on his already strained abdomen. He looked up and was met with Karl crouching in front of him, with Punz still beside him.

"Just relax, you're better off just sitting here until your stomach settles." Karl said quietly, choosing to ignore the nagging pain in his middle for the time being.

The sound of the bedroom door opening and closing made the three turn their heads, and Punz stood to investigate.

"Just George, probably going to use another bathroom." He said upon his return, also noticing that Dream had fallen back to sleep.

Sapnap coughed into his elbow, then simultaneously swallowed and hiccuped. "This fucking sucks."

Karl and Punz exchanged sympathetic glances, also knowing that they still had to get Sapnap changed into some lighter clothes, which was easier said then done.

"Luke's gonna grab you some shorts from your suitcase, then you're gonna be rocking with no shirt for a bit. Sorry and all but, this fever is just a bit too high to be comfortable in thick pyjamas."

Sapnap whined, freeing his wrists from Karl's hold, once again holding his stomach. He didn't hold himself as tightly as he had been, so no intervention was needed.

Punz made his way to Sapnap and Karl's bunk, standing on the bottom bed so he could actually reach the storage above Sapnap's bed. The suitcase fell with a soft thud onto the mattress, and it didn't take long to find a pair of shorts, conveniently an old merch design.

"I haven't got any boxers on." Sapnap quietly informed Karl, leaning forwards with the knowledge he'd most likely be met with a kind embrace.

Unfortunately, Karl had his back turned for the moment.

Sapnap only just had enough time to catch himself, groaning softly and immediately being met with hands underneath him.

"Shit- you're good, I've got you." Karl spoke quickly, his voice laden with anxiety. He slowly lowered Sapnap the rest of the way down to the floor, figuring it would be easier to let him lie down for a moment.

Sapnap just admitted defeat, lying face down on the cold tiles, feeling as Karl began to rub his back.

Punz was a little confused when he returned again, armed with both normal shorts and some boxer shorts. "You good down there?"

Another soft groan was muffled by the floor, and Sapnap shifted so he could have one arm beneath his stomach, the other serving as a pillow for his head.

"Not feeling too great then." Punz stated the  obvious, sitting down beside Karl. "We've still gotta get you changed so that your temperature can go down, and I'll get you one of those popsicles."

There was no reply, so Karl gently shook his partners shoulder. 

"M' still awake. Jus- jus' resting m' eyes." He answered, his eyes screwing tighter when his stomach erupted into a fit of spasms and painful grumbles.

"Come on, sooner the better. Then you can go lay down." Punz encouraged, folding the clothes in his lap again, just so he had something to do.

Karl shifted so he was positioned in front of Sapnap's head, beginning to run his hand through the sweaty curls. "Realistically, you could do with a shower. But I don't trust you standing alone for that long."

"Don't you two sleep in the same bed every time you meet up? Just both of you wear shorts or something." Punz thought out loud, knowing that Karl could probably do with a shower as well.

Karl sighed. It was a good point, but Punz seemed to have forgotten something.

“Luke you dumbass, I’m still sick as well. There’s a reason I’ve been sitting down this whole time.” Karl reminded, laughing a little.

Punz sighed, covering his mouth as he thought.

“Sponge bath?”

“Sponge bath it is.” Karl agreed with a nod, letting his hand run down to Sapnap’s neck and then to his shoulder. “Come on, up you get.”

Punz worked on pushing Sapnap back up, while Karl moved to sit behind him in case he were to go too far back. Sapnap showed little to no objection on the matter, with his only concern being making sure nobody put any sudden pressure on his stomach.

Once back up on his knees, Punz and Karl swapped places again. Punz’s arms hooked Sapnap’s underarms, lifting him a little so that Karl could move his legs.

“That went smoother than I expected.” Karl admitted, watching as Punz allowed Sapnap to naturally lean back, being caught by the bathtub.

“Right, I’ll let you two do whatever it is you’re gonna do. Don’t be too stubborn, Nick. Clothes are there, I’ll get the popsicles, and just shout me if you need a hand.”

Both Sapnap and Karl were grateful for the extra privacy Punz provided by closing the door over.

“Is Sapnap ever coming down?” Tommy asked, leaning back in his chair. It had now been almost an hour since Punz had come downstairs and confirmed that the Texan would be alright for a chat, yet there was still no sign of him.

Both Tommy and Phil turned their heads at footsteps down the stairs, only to be once again met with Punz.

“Where’s Sapnap? You said he’d be right down.” Tommy questioned, and Punz picked up on the frustration in his voice. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Yeah uh, change of plans. If you wanna talk to him you’re gonna have to wait like, 20 minutes then go up. There’s no way he’s leaving that room today.”

Phil sighed, holding his head in his hands. “Well that answers that then.”

Punz sat down at the table with them, curiosity peaking. “What? Did something happen?”

“Wilbur has been throwing up all morning, he’s been having a constant anxiety attack for like 6 hours. Last person he was with was Sapnap.” Tommy answered, cracking his knuckles.

Punz furrowed his brow, not quite sure why they’d need to talk to Sapnap. Wilbur had spent time with everyone who had gotten sick, they couldn’t just push the blame onto one person.

“Okay? George is sick, Karl is sick, Ranboo is sick, Tubbo is sick, and I’m pretty sure Niki wasn’t feeling too great either. We’re all bound to get it.”

Phil shook his head. “We weren’t saying it’s his fault, we just wanted to know if Wilbur was unwell in the night. I’m honestly surprised he’s gone this long without catching it.”

“Oh, that makes more sense. Sorry, a bit-.”

“We get it. It’s tiring. Ranboo was up most of the night because of how hot he was, and then Tom has been up with Toby since like 6am.” Phil quickly cut in, knowing firsthand how exhausting it was trying to make sure everyone was alright.

“Whose with Wilbur right now?” The American at the table asked, standing back up so he could grab some popsicles before he forgot.

“Jack, Kristin is still asleep, she didn’t feel great in the night. So as of right now, it’s me, you, Tommy and Jack who are well enough to actually do anything.”

“George is pretty much better actually. He’s still just in and out of the bathroom but when he’s up he’s alright. In fact he had to take over for a bit yesterday because my temper was just, gone.” Punz picked out a flavour that he thought Sapnap would like, then wrapped it in a paper towel.

“Make sure to shout if you need anything, but I’m gonna get this upstairs before it melts.”

There was no objections against Punz going back upstairs, so with everything he needed, he left again. Upon his return to the bedroom, the bathroom door was still closed over, so he left the popsicle on Karl’s bedside table, picking up the thermometer.

“Is George still not back?” He asked Quackity, who was still yet to throw up.

“I haven’t heard him come back in, so unless he’s invisible then no.” Quackity sat up, very much regretting choosing to have the top bunk.

Punz stood on his mattress, scanning his friend’s forehead. “Not that high yet, still about 100 though.” He hopped down, grabbing a bottle of pedialyte and passing it up.

He then had the difficult task of trying to get Dream’s temperature without waking him, as he was very sensitive to touch at the moment. Luckily, his forehead was exposed, so Punz didn’t have to worry about waking him.

“His temperature has gone up again, the website says to wait 3 days and if there’s no change then you have to contact a doctor.”

“Yeah well, hopefully we just don’t have to do that.” Quackity mumbled, sipping his drink and scrolling through Twitter.

The room fell back into a silence after that, only broken when George finally returned.

“Oh you had a shower, I thought you’d died or something.” Punz joked, sitting up in bed.

George gave a fake laugh, folding his towel again. “Everything seemed fine in here, you had Sapnap under control. I hate being all sweaty and gross.”

“Actually, I might treat myself to a shower once Karl and Sapnap are done in the bathroom.” Punz decided, pulling his suitcase out from under his bed, finding some clean clothes he could wear once he was done.

“No need to wait, we’re done.” Karl called out, opening the bathroom door. Sapnap didn’t seem any better, and he definitely didn’t seem too happy about the fact he was shirtless. It didn’t take him long to get over to his and Karl’s bunk, but then he was stumped.

“You can lay on mine, it’s fine.” Karl shrugged, now understanding why having bunk beds probably wasn’t the greatest idea.

Sapnap immediately accepted the offer, getting as comfortable as he could on Karl’s bed. He made sure the bucket was as close as possible, still feeling incredibly nauseous.

“Oh yeah, I found this in the bathroom when I went for a shower. My mum used to use it when I had a high temperature when I was younger.” George suddenly spoke, pulling a little box out of the pocket on his shorts.

“What is it?” Karl questioned, making his way over to see for himself. It looked like some kind of essential oil, so his curiosity began to peak.

“It’s peppermint oil. She used to rub it on the back of my neck and my chest because it starts feeling really cold. Here, no use to me now my fevers gone.” He handed the bottle to Karl. “Don’t use all of it though, I reckon there’s some others that could probably use it.”

“Oh, thank you.” Karl made his way back over to his bed, opening the bottle. “So what like, just rub it on your skin and it cools you down?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” George nodded, crossing his arms over his stomach, still feeling the general soreness from the abuse his digestive system had felt over the last few days.

Sapnap made a quiet noise, as Karl had startled him from his silent doze. He made no attempt to move, knowing that if he did then the pain would return- well, it would intensify.

“Is anyone else tired of just being in the same room all day? Can’t we all go downstairs or something?” George asked, knowing that everyone would most likely object. To be honest, he personally didn’t feel much like moving.

“Maybe we could later, I think people just need to rest.” Karl gave a reasonable response, before sighing and heading to the bathroom.

George continued to sip his drink, scrolling through TikTok before finding a certain tag he wanted to look through.

On the bright side, people were at least starting to get better now, some quicker than others.

Some, however, still showed no change…

Chapter Text

Restless breaths.
Choked sobs.
Gagging.

That was all Wilbur seemed to have gone through in the last 7 hours, his throat raw from a combination of vomiting and coughing.

Jack, who'd been sat with his friend the entire time, was growing ever concerned, having no clue what to do to help. Wilbur didn't seem to hear anything he was told, only ever focusing on the fact he was painfully nauseous.

"I know, it'll stop soon." His reassurance fell on deaf ears, and Wilbur continued to tremble uncontrollably, only just able to stay sat up in his bed as he tightly grasped the plastic bowl he'd been oh so graciously gifted.

Niki sat up in her bed. "Still no change then?" She asked, having gotten off quite lucky when it came to symptoms. She'd thrown up twice, but apart from some aches and pains, and quite the temperature, she was fairing okay.

Jack shook his head, starting to admit defeat. He'd been trying for so long, yet nothing ever seemed to work. He held his head in his hands. "Fucking hell, Will. You've got yourself into such a state."

In a last attempt to snap the panic stricken Brit out of it, Jack ran his hands up Wilbur's arms slowly, continuing once he reached his shoulders, then his neck, then the sides of his face. He gently clasped his hands over Wilbur's ears, hoping that the sensory deprivation would assist even the slightest bit.

Just when Jack was about to give up, Wilbur's once jagged, fast, terrified breaths began to be few and far between, switching to a smoother rhythm. Still far from perfect, but a lot better than before.

The oldest in the room continued to let broken sobs escape him, rapid swallows following as he continued to try and force the nausea to subside. However in doing so, he was only making the situation worse.

Jack moved his index fingers in a slow, circular motion leaning forward as he sat in front of Wilbur with his legs crossed. The euphoria Jack felt when Wilbur finally let his eyes fall shut for a moment was something that he didn't think he'd ever been able to explain.

"I'm gonna give you 20 more seconds of quiet, and then I'm gonna remove my hands so we can get you cleaned up, okay?" He made sure all his actions were known, not wanting to potentially trigger Wilbur back into another horrendous panic attack.

The taller of the two nodded softly, beginning to count in his head.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

He watched every slight movement Jack made, grateful for the fact he was keeping his word.

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

21.

Jack slowly moved his hands after 21 seconds. Wilbur gave him the benefit of the doubt, now beginning to realise how long he'd actually been sat in this one spot.

"Hi." Jack greeted quietly, with a kind smile, sitting back as his hands returned to his sides. "We're gonna go into the bathroom, and then you're gonna wash your face, wash your mouth out with water or with mouth wash if you think you can handle the texture."

Wilbur nodded, intent on listening.

"Then I'm gonna leave, and grab you some pyjamas, and then I'll bring them to you. While you get changed, I'm gonna change the sheets on your bed, shut the blinds and put the TV on."

Wilbur liked Jack's plan. He liked the way he wasn't being left in the dark, and he loved the fact that Jack wasn't serving a constant reminder about the swirling in his stomach, or the soreness of his throat.

"Do you wanna go now? Or do you want a few more minutes to collect yourself?" Jack asked, not wanting to rush his friend if he couldn't handle it. If he were to rush him, the only person it would be benefiting would be himself, but those benefits wouldn't matter if it startled Wilbur again.

There was silence. Jack understood that Wilbur's fever would probably be frazzling his brain right now. What he needed was some fever reducers, pedialyte and whatever other medicine they had downstairs. However, he doubted Wilbur would be up to putting anything in his stomach.

"Go now. Get it done with." Wilbur eventually answered, slowly shifting and turning, releasing the death grip he'd had on that dreaded plastic bowl. His knuckles were white from just how hard he'd been holding it, and his hands were grateful for the release.

"Think you'll be steady enough to walk without me being a crutch? Or do you not wanna risk it?"

More silence.

"Don't wanna risk it." Wilbur answered, and to Jack it was becoming increasingly apparent that the 25 year old was absolutely exhausted.

"You're gonna have to put your arm across my shoulders, I'm too short for this to work any other way." Jack looked over to Niki as she gave a quiet laugh. "Fuck off, he's just obnoxiously tall."

"I'm aware." She quietly answered, sitting up to see how well this train wreck was going to be executed. Fair dos, Jack did his best, being a very much appreciated help as the two hobbled towards the bathroom.

"Ok, you wash your face and rinse your mouth, I'll get you some pyjamas." Wilbur nodded as he sat down on the edge of the bathtub, leaning forward so he could better reach the sink, turning the faucets until the cold water began to run.

He cupped his hands, letting the improvised bowl fill with water. The sound and feeling of the splash against his face was pure heaven, despite the soreness in his eyes and head becoming more and more apparent as he returned to reality.

Wilbur also took the time to wash his mouth out, sticking with water since he still felt a little sicky. The lingering foul taste on his tongue was enough to make him feel uneasy again, but Jack returned before his thoughts could start to spiral further.

"Feel a little better?" The younger of the two asked, placing the clothes down on the wash basket, knowing that he could do with getting his companion's temperature down if possible.

Wilbur gave a slight nod, turning the tap again so that the water stopped. "Stomachs really sore. Don't feel as...yuck, anymore."

"No surprises there, you were going for quite a while." Jack sympathised, grabbing a small towel and soaking it in cold water, squeezing the excess out before dumping it back in the sink again.

"You get changed, cool yourself down a bit. I'm gonna get your bed sorted."

Wilbur couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Yeah, Jack was his friend, but he also didn't expect him to care for his needs this much. He should be worried about catching the virus himself.

Yet, he just wasn't.

A sickeningly feeling of blame coursed through Wilbur's veins as he slowly got changed, not trusting himself to be standing for too long. The cold towel made quick work of wiping the sweat from his chest, helping him feel a little more refreshed.

Having loose pyjamas on made him feel infinitely better, no longer having to think about the way his jeans had constantly dug into his lower stomach while he was sat on the bed.

He also took the time to use the bathroom, washing his hands once he was done. He didn't know if Jack would have finished with his bed yet, so he nervously took a few sips of water from the tap, laying the cold towel across his shoulders.

"You all done in there king?" Wilbur's head perked at the sound of Jack's voice, and he quickly turned the tap off.

"Yeah, I'm done." He opened the door, putting most of his weight on the handle. Jack noticed, and offered his hand as support.

"Come on then, you can get in bed, you and Niki can decide on what to watch while I go and get you something to drink." He explained as they walked across the room, which luckily wasn't a big distance.

Wilbur nodded as he sat on the edge of his bed, swinging his legs back over the side and pushing himself so his back was against the wall. Jack didn't waste any time in heading downstairs.

"So, what do you wanna watch?" Wilbur asked, currently in control of the remote. He was grateful for the fact the house owners seemed to have most streaming networks, so they weren't restricted to cable tv.

Niki shrugged, lying down on her side, pulling the covers up as she squinted at the screen. "Anything that's not really fast paced, I don't wanna get dizzy."

Wilbur was in agreement, not really one for action movies anyway. "I can't really..." He sighed, cutting himself off. "I can't stomach cartoons when I feel like- this."

"That's fine, I totally understand that." Niki said gently, knowing it was a big thing for Wilbur to verbally admit if things made him nauseous. Normally he would just avoid it like the plague, rather than outwardly admitting what he was trying to avoid. It made life easier.

"I'm torn between nature documentary or cooking videos." Wilbur complained, holding his stomach as the familiar ache made itself apparent again. The nausea stayed at around a tolerable level, so he didn't let himself panic.

Niki hummed quietly. "Well, there's chances of there being gross things in nature shows, but it's a safe bet with cooking shows."

"Good point." Wilbur agreed, finding Gordon Ramsay's YouTube channel and deciding on a specific playlist.

The two only got a few minutes in before the door opened again.

It was Punz.

"Fuck, sorry. You haven't seen George, have you?" He quickly asked, sighing in frustration when both Wilbur and Niki shook their heads.

"What's up?" Niki asked, picking up on how stressed Punz appeared. He didn't seem sick, he just seemed exhausted.

"Dreams having a massive fucking panic attack, Karl and I have tried everything, Sapnap can barely move from his bed and Q is asleep." He rushed his words, glancing back into the hall.

"Oooooh, shit." Was the input Wilbur gave, sitting up a little more. He very much understood being on the opposite end in this situation, but he also understood that if both Sapnap and Quackity were sick then he very much did not want to be in that room.

"Do you want me to keep looking for you? He can't be far away." Niki offered, sitting up in her bed. While she certainly wasn't 100%, she was more then happy to lend a hand if it avoided another situation similar to the one Wilbur had just been in.

"If you're up to it. Only if you're up to it." Punz nodded, watching as Niki slowly stood up.

"Jack will be back soon, Wilbur. You wont be alone for long." Niki reassured, leaving the door cracked open a little.

She headed downstairs, while Punz was already ahead of her.

"Have any of you seen George?" They both asked simultaneously to the occupants of the living room, more specifically Phil, Kristin, Tubbo, Ranboo and Tommy. Jack was in the kitchen, so he heard as well.

Phil pointed down the hall. "He went down to the office cuz his mum called. Why, what's up?"

Punz didn't answer, instead heading down the hallway to find the office that had originally been planned to be used for streams.

"Dream is apparently having a really bad panic attack, Karl and Punz can't get him to calm down and everyone else in their room is sick." Niki explained only what she had been told, and she nudged Jack to go back upstairs to Wilbur.

Phil stood up, heading to the edge of the hallway. "I'll go check on him, don't rush up."

So Phil headed upstairs, stopping by Wilbur's room, seeing that he was now half asleep. Instead of closing the door and startling him awake, he left the door as Jack had left it.

He made it to the room he was looking for, and took a deep breath before knocking twice and opening the door, immediately being met with the sound of quiet rushed breaths.

Sapnap was sat up in Karl's bed, nervously gripping a bowl as he swayed a little. Quackity was otherwise asleep, a pillow hugging his stomach.

"Bathroom." Sapnap mumbled, knowing why Phil would be here. The oldest of the group nodded as he took the few steps over to the door, hearing Karl's quiet shushing.

He pushed the door open slowly, being met with Dream lying on his side on the bathroom floor, his head in Karl's lap. He was trembling horribly, and there was a puddle of vomit across the floor.

"Jesus Christ." That's all Phil could really say as he crouched down beside the two, looking to Karl. "Do you know what like, sparked him into it?"

Karl swallowed, wiping his eyes. "Yeah uhm, yeah he was in here by himself, and then I'm guessing he threw up, but like, tried to stop it? When he unlocked the door for Luke he was practically choking."

Phil nodded slowly, laying his hand on Dream's side, patting gently. "Hey, come on, you're with us, just get your breathing under control."

His words fell on deaf ears, but the patting seemed to help slightly. "You don't think he still feels nauseous do you? But he's afraid to throw up in case it happens again?" Karl questioned, rubbing the back of his friend's neck.

That seemed like a logical explanation, but Phil still shrugged, unsure of anything at the moment.

"It might be better if he's sat up, it'll help him breathe better too." He added, watching as Karl immediately began to shift, the two of them aiding Dream so he was now sitting up, his hand scratching his wrist.

Phil took to patting the Floridian's back, knowing that the motion also served as a comfort for a lot of people. He hoped it would be the case here too.

The sound of the bedroom door quickly opening and shutting made Phil and Karl jump a little more than they'd like to admit, but they were soon joined by Punz and George.

"So he just, choked on his sick?" George questioned, watching as Phil moved, sitting on the edge of the bath so there was more available floor space in the cramped room.

"Yeah, we heard him coughing for a few minutes but he didn't respond when we knocked, so he unlocked the door and he's been like this since." Punz rushed, standing in the doorway.

"Hey, come on, you're alright." George said gently, crouching in front of the extremely panicked boy, using his thumbs to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Still, no change.

George sighed softly, sitting cross legged in front of his partner. "Dream." He said his name, hoping to at least get his attention.

It seemed to work, as Dream's head perked up a little, seemingly recognising whoever said his name. His rapid breaths continued.

"Dream, I'm gonna hold your hands in a moment okay? Just to stop you from scratching so hard." George explained his movements carefully, listening as Punz was called over by Sapnap. He didn't let it take too much of his attention.

Phil just quietly watched, just wanting to make sure Dream was alright before he left again.

George gently took hold of Dream's hands, running his thumbs over his knuckles. He felt the way his hands constantly trembled, occasionally recoiling back a bit when his stomach cramped.

"Easy, easy, I'm gonna move one hand to the back of your head, alright? And then my other hand is gonna go around your waist. I'm gonna pull you in for a hug, and I want you to focus on my breathing."

George left it a few seconds, waiting to see if there would be any opposition. There wasn't, so his hands made their way to their designated zones, and he felt as Dream shuffled forwards a little, clearly wanting the comfort.

He made sure to over emphasise his breaths once Dream was as close to him as he could get, closing his eyes as he waited for this nightmare to be over.

Rapid breaths seemed to lessen, slowly turning into broken sobs. It was understandable, if you were feverish and for a few seconds were unable to breathe you'd be quite panicked too.

George sighed softly, gently moving his hands slightly. "Your temperature has gone up again." He hoped it was just due to the fact Dream had worked himself up, but he wasn't sure.

Phil stood up, leaving the bathroom to grab the thermometer. It only took him a moment to return, and George readjusted Dream's head so the side of his head could be scanned without disturbing him too much.

"103.2...103 is the call for help, 104 is the shout for help and 105 is the scream for help." Phil explained, clicking his tongue as he sat back down on the edge of the bath.

There were quick footsteps in the bedroom, and they were met by Sapnap leaning against the doorframe. "Don't panic, he always runs hot." He rushed, panting.

"You know, you could have just told Punz that rather than dragging yourself over here when you look like death." George stated the obvious, listening as Karl laughed quietly.

Sapnap was guided back to bed by Punz, immediately making use of the bowl he'd been holding close for the last hour or so. Phil cringed, leaning over and pulling the bathroom door over so it was almost shut.

"That helps a bit." Phil added, watching as Karl stood up, soaking a wash cloth in cold water before wringing it out.

George took notice of what he was doing, and he tapped Dream's side gently to get his attention. "Karl is gonna put a cold towel on the back of your neck, it's gonna help you cool down."

"Mm." It may have only been a quiet sound, but a verbal answer was a big improvement compared to the responses the group got only a few moments prior. Karl wasted no time in gently placing the cold compress on the back of his friend's neck, moving it a little until he found a position where it wouldn't immediately slide off.

After a while, even the quiet sobs begun to die down, being replaced by pained grunts and sharp inhales. Dream held tight fistfuls of the back of George's shirt, pulling so tightly George was concerned his nails would tear through. In fact, his hands were still trembling something awful.

"Shhh, it's okay, you're okay." George continued to soothe, rubbing soft circles into his partner's side, trying to avoid touching his stomach and lower back since he knew that's where the pain was.

Phil gave a gentle exhale, his moves audible by the creaking of the bathtub. "Would he be better off back in bed?" He thought out loud, using a softer voice than he normally did.

"Well, he fucking fell out of his bed yesterday because he's not used to being in a single." Karl explained, and George breathed out a laugh, trying not to move.

"Can't we just push the two singles together? If you push them as close as possible then put a double sheet over the two of them then you should be alright, providing you don't sleep directly in the middle. Me and Kristin have done it before."

"...Oh yeah."

Phil gave a soft chuckle as he stood up, patting George's shoulder lightly. "Get him cleaned up, then get him in bed. I'll get things sorted out here."

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it." Phil could tell that George really did mean what he said, just by the look in his eyes. He knew how much Dream meant to him- I mean, he'd be blind if he didn't.

The eldest simply left, quietly leaving the bedroom so he could go and retrieve a double sheet. The linen closet was beside his and Kristin's room, which wasn't too far of a walk.

With the sheet tucked under his arm, Phil made his way back, not letting himself peek into semi open doors to see if anyone was inside. He could do that later, right now he had to push some beds together.

"Punz, can you give me a hand?" He asked, moving one of the bedside tables that was positioned between the two beds. He just made sure it was out of the way, it could be put back later.

Punz nodded as he left Sapnap, knowing that the sick boy would survive for a few moments. It didn't take him and Phil long to push the two beds together, only stopping when neither would move anymore.

"Thanks." Phil got to work on taking the two mattress covers off, tossing them off to the side. He also moved the duvets and pillows from the bed so he had more room to work with.

Now, he was by no means an expert at making beds, but after 33 years he'd gotten pretty darn good at it, even when a corner started to ride up a bit too far.

"You've got that down to a T." Karl praised Phil for his efforts as he walked behind him, intending on getting back into bed, but deciding to just sit on the edge while Phil was still hanging around.

"Yeah, Kristin has always hated making beds, and then I used to make my mum's when she was at work early." Phil explained, picking everything up that he'd thrown, putting the appropriate things back on the bed and keeping hold of the two single sheets.

"That's me done in here, just, shout if you need help, okay?"

"We will, thank you so much." Punz quickly said, leaning on the bedpost of Karl and Sapnap's bed, still staying by his friends side in case he hadn't finished vomiting yet.

Phil didn't linger after that, closing the bedroom door behind him quietly.

Karl sighed as he fell backwards into the bed, mumbling a quiet apology when Sapnap whined in response to the movement of the mattress.

"I think we should stop having group vacations for a while." Karl decided, stretching as much as possible to try and relieve the aches in his muscles caused by the last few days of weird sleeping positions.

"You must be cursed or something, I'm still fine." Punz said, way too confident. Of course, everyone knew he'd bite the bullet eventually, and be bed bound for a few days. But for now, he was fine.

George scoffed as he pushed the bathroom door open, his hand lingering on Dream's lower back. "You won't be saying that for long."

Punz gave a quiet chuckle, making his way back to his own bed.

"I swear to god, if I throw up one more time." Dream complained, slowly lying back down on the newly made double bed. His voice was hoarse, broken and scratchy. He elected to not speak for a while. It didn't last long.

"You're just getting it out of your system, just gotta stay hydrated." George followed closely, nudging Dream to sit up as he held out a bottle of pedialyte.

The Floridian groaned, snatching the bottle from George's hand, unscrewing the cap and beginning to slowly sip. "It doesn't even taste good." He whined, his legs constantly moving from the discomfort.

"You do realise we have different flavours, right?" Punz questioned, genuinely curious. It seemed the answer was obvious given Dream's unamused facial expression.

"It's fucking pedialyte, it's not gonna taste exactly like it says on the bottle." Sapnap grumbled, lying on his stomach with his face smushed into one of Karl's pillows.

"I'm not saying I want it to taste exactly as it says on the bottle, I'm saying I want it to taste like an actual drink and not just salty shit that hurts my throat." Dream used that one tone, the one all his friends knew. The one he used when he was incredibly pissed off but trying to keep a level head.

"Then just drink fucking water then?" Sapnap snapped, lifting his head a little so his voice was clearer. His head was slowly pushed back down by Karl, who'd since sat back up and scooted back against the headboard.

A tense silence overtook the room, accompanied by shaking breaths. There was a heavy sigh, followed by the creak of bed springs.

"I don't care about the side effects, you're both taking this fucking medicine so you're not as grumpy." George announced, grabbing the bottle that had been sat unused on the dresser since Niki had delivered it a few days prior.

Dream begrudgingly agreed, taking the cap full of thick pink liquid and swallowing it, shuddering. George then made his way round to Sapnap, watching as he struggled to swallow it since he was lying face down.

"Now chill. You aren't gonna get better by bitching at each other." Punz instructed, getting back up when he remembered there was still a mess to clean in the bathroom. He didn't particularly want to, but it seemed as thought nobody else was about to.

George put the bottle back in it's original spot, before quietly heading downstairs. Truth be told, he was starving again. He also needed a break, he could only deal with so many grumpy individuals for so long.

Punz sighed loudly as he finished cleaning up, returning to the bedroom and collapsing onto his bed with a groan. "I'm done cleaning vomit, I've cleaned way too much for one lifetime in the last few days."

His statement wasn't truly believable, given that he had stated the same only a day prior. In reality, the others knew that Punz stuck in this never ending cycle until he himself developed symptoms.

When Punz didn’t get an answer, he understood why. It had been an exhausting 3 days, and if everyone just wanted to sleep it away then he was more than happy. Besides, he’d been up way too early for this shit.

“George better be quiet when he comes back in.”

Well, he didn’t wake anyone when he came back at least.